XN000022-1974-04-24 — Page 13

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VEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1974

39 CONSULTANTS IN P.V.D. EMPLOY

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A TOTAL OF 39 CONSULTANTS ARE AT PRESENT ENGAGED ON VARIOUS PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. ROGER LOBO.

MOST OF THE CONSULTANTS ARE WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE, AND INCLUDE 10 ARCHITECTURAL, FIVE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, FOUR BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERING AND FIVE QUANTITY SURVEYING CONSULTANTS.

THE REMAINING OFFICES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ARE AT PRESENT UTILISING THE SERVICES OF 15 ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING CONSULTANTS.

IN ANSWER TO ANOTHER QUESTION RAISED BY THE HON. MRS. JOYCE SYMONS, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT MORE THAN 1,000 BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL PLANS WERE AWAITING APPROVAL IN THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE.

AS AT APRIL 19 THIS YEAR, HE SAID, THERE WERE 567 FIRST SUBMISSIONS AND 580 RE-SUBMISSIONS OF BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL PLANS AWAITING APPROVAL.

AS FOR CONSENTS TO COMMENCE WORKS, MR. MCDONALD SAID THERE WERE 54 SUPERSTRUCTURE AND GENERAL BUILDING APPLICATIONS AND 119 SITE FORMATION, FOUNDATION AND MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OUTSTANDING.

SIX POTENTIAL SITES EARMARKED FOR INDUSTRIAL ESTATES

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SIX POTENTIAL SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON, JAMES ROBSON, SAID TODAY.

HOWEVER, FOR THE TIME BEING, WORK IS BEING CONCENTRATED ON ONE AREA A 150-ACRE SITE OF RECLAIMED LAND ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE TAI PO HARBOUR WHERE THE BASIC REQUIREMENT OF WATER SUPPLY AND ROADS ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE, HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. JAMES WU REGARDING THE PROGRESS IN THE PROVISION OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES FOR SPECIAL LAND-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES.

+WHETHER THIS AREA CAN ACCOMMODATE AN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, THE DATE AT WHICH IT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE AND THE METHOD TO BE ADOPTED IN DEVELOPING IT, WILL DEPEND UPON WHETHER ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS CAN BE FOUND TO A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY THAT OF FINANCE,+ MR. ROBSON SAID.